I wondered if anyone had any experience with running a campaign as a lunch time club? I teach English in a school and think that a campaign would help some students open their imagination. It would be to students of 12 and 13 years old.
I am thinking of starting one up and having up to 6 players. I have DMd before but only one shots so I’m happy with that.
If anyone has experience with this. What advice can you give me?
Maybe keep each session simple and short. Have an arc or idea for that week and each daily session works towards completing the quest and at the end of the week wrap up... maybe with a cliff-hanger. But at least tie off some loose ends which should give them a sense of progression in the story.
Make sure to get a little invested in their characters and give them time to shine with their features and things.
Above all, have fun!
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"A rightful place awaits you in the Realms Above, in the Land of the Great Light. Come in peace, and live beneath the sun again, where trees and flowers grow."
— The message of Eilistraee to all decent drow.
"Run thy sword across my chains, Silver Lady, that I may join your dance.”
My high school had a D&D club, but we didn’t play during meetings. Instead, we organized groups to play outside of school, a beginner group, an intermediate group, and an advanced group, each run by a separate student DM. During the meetings we would hang around, chat about the game, and we ended up starting a club project where we built a homebrew world together.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
It’ll only work if you’re not worried about game balance, since spotty attendance plus time for only one encounter will make it impossible to figure out a reasonable challenge. Plus, there’s a chance more kids will want to play than you can fit at your table. For both those reasons, I’d suggest an after-school weekly club instead.
I was 17 when first exposed to First Edition AD&D. It sure looked like fun. My first character was eaten by a Beholder. That was not fun. (The DM's system for Wandering Monsters was to flip a coin for which book, the Monster Manual or the Fiend Folio, then roll percental dice for which page. Then he'd count the number of monsters on that page, and randomly roll for which one.) Goodness only knows why I tried again, but I did.
The 5th Edition rules for D&D have been streamlined a great deal. There remains a bewildering number of Rules, optional Rules, Rules as Intended, and opinions on the Rules As Written, Rules As Intended, Optional Rules, and opinions on how to make things Fun. The Rule Of Fun triumphs over all others. You are a professional, I leave it to you. If you think you can make things fun for 12 to 13 year-old children, I wish you well.
We have come a long way, but wouldn't want to be the Dungeon Master to first introduce those children to a Dragon, a Dungeon, or a Dungeon with a Dungeon. Dragons are usually hungry, or way back in First Edition, asleep, and they got really cranky if you woke them up.
Yeah I'd argue lunch is way too short. I mean at my school lunch is like 45 minutes which isn't enough time at least in my opinion for a session. An after school club would be a good idea though!
Hi all,
I wondered if anyone had any experience with running a campaign as a lunch time club? I teach English in a school and think that a campaign would help some students open their imagination. It would be to students of 12 and 13 years old.
I am thinking of starting one up and having up to 6 players. I have DMd before but only one shots so I’m happy with that.
If anyone has experience with this. What advice can you give me?
Thank you
How much time do you have after everyone eats?
Maybe keep each session simple and short. Have an arc or idea for that week and each daily session works towards completing the quest and at the end of the week wrap up... maybe with a cliff-hanger. But at least tie off some loose ends which should give them a sense of progression in the story.
Make sure to get a little invested in their characters and give them time to shine with their features and things.
Above all, have fun!
My high school had a D&D club, but we didn’t play during meetings. Instead, we organized groups to play outside of school, a beginner group, an intermediate group, and an advanced group, each run by a separate student DM.
During the meetings we would hang around, chat about the game, and we ended up starting a club project where we built a homebrew world together.
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
It’ll only work if you’re not worried about game balance, since spotty attendance plus time for only one encounter will make it impossible to figure out a reasonable challenge. Plus, there’s a chance more kids will want to play than you can fit at your table. For both those reasons, I’d suggest an after-school weekly club instead.
Wizard (Gandalf) of the Tolkien Club
I was 17 when first exposed to First Edition AD&D. It sure looked like fun. My first character was eaten by a Beholder. That was not fun. (The DM's system for Wandering Monsters was to flip a coin for which book, the Monster Manual or the Fiend Folio, then roll percental dice for which page. Then he'd count the number of monsters on that page, and randomly roll for which one.) Goodness only knows why I tried again, but I did.
The 5th Edition rules for D&D have been streamlined a great deal. There remains a bewildering number of Rules, optional Rules, Rules as Intended, and opinions on the Rules As Written, Rules As Intended, Optional Rules, and opinions on how to make things Fun. The Rule Of Fun triumphs over all others. You are a professional, I leave it to you. If you think you can make things fun for 12 to 13 year-old children, I wish you well.
We have come a long way, but wouldn't want to be the Dungeon Master to first introduce those children to a Dragon, a Dungeon, or a Dungeon with a Dungeon. Dragons are usually hungry, or way back in First Edition, asleep, and they got really cranky if you woke them up.
<Insert clever signature here>
An after school program would probably be best. Lunch is too short to get much done and there is the whole eating bit to get in the way.
Ask your admin or counselors what kind of resources can be provided to school clubs.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
Yeah I'd argue lunch is way too short. I mean at my school lunch is like 45 minutes which isn't enough time at least in my opinion for a session. An after school club would be a good idea though!
Perfect. Thank you so much guys. I think I’ll set up an after school club, thanks for your input.